MR. 300: FLAHERTY BACKSTOPS HOGS OVER ADMIRALS

IceHogs top Admirals 4-1

Milwaukee, Wis.- In the distinguished career of Rockford IceHogs goalie Wade Flaherty, the backstop has achieved some milestones. On Monday night he hit another one against a team he helped win a Calder Cup Championship.

Flaherty turned away 17 Milwaukee Admirals shots in helping the IceHogs to a 4-1 win over the West Division rivals at the Bradley Center. The win was Flaherty’s 300th in his career and 12th this season with Rockford.

Rockford used some hand-eye coordination to jump out to a 2-0 first period lead. Mike Blunden put Rockford on the board at 11:05 when he redirected a Kenny MacAulay pass past Dov Grumet-Morris for the 1-0 lead. Jake Dowell also assisted on the goal and the assist for MacAulay marked his first career AHL point.

Late in the frame it was Derek Nesbitt getting into the goal scoring act. Nesbitt tipped a Martin St. Pierre pass through Grumet-Morris for his 15th marker of the season at 19:35. Kris Versteeg also figured in on the goal with an assist.

Nesbitt would then add his second tally of the night and 15th of the season in the second period to extend Rockford’s lead to 3-0. Moments after a power play expired, Nesbitt picked up a Petri Kontiola pass and fired it past Grumet-Morris at 13:28. Justin Fletcher added an assist as well.

In the third period the Admirals made things interesting with a power play marker. Winger Antti Philstrom buried his team-leading 23rd goal of the campaign off of a Mark Matheson pass to make it 3-1 at 13:26.

Rockford sealed the deal, however, with an empty net goal from Petri Kontiola, his 16th of the season at 17:42.

The IceHogs complete the 10-game season series 6-4-0-0 against the Admirals.

Next Home Game: Friday, March 28 vs. Chicago Wolves. The game starts at 7:30 p.m. Rockford and Chicago renew their rivalry at the MetroCentre in a West Division showdown. The game is the first of three down the homestretch between the teams. The first 1,000 fans to the game will pick up an IceHogs player figurine featuring Cam Barker, Mike Blunden and Martin St. Pierre courtesy of Wheels By RT and FOX 39.